If I get to steal an hour or two to relax this weekend, there are three ways I'd opt to while away the luxurious time, satiated, of course, by a heaping plateful of homemade chocolate-chip or black-and-white cookies:

1) Reread some of my Favorite Books of All Time (Helprin's Winter's Tale, Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, Proust's Remembrance of Things Past) to see if now, with my wiser eyes, I believe these should retain their eminent status.2) Watch endless reruns of fun trashy shows like Laguna Beach or fun brilliant ones like Black Adder.3) Mouse around to find sites like Meg Hourihan's Megnut, a wide-ranging blog on all sorts of food topics, from her 20-course dinner at Chicago's Moto, to Civil War recipes and K rations. If you had a free hour or two, how would you spend it and what would be your accompanying satisfying snack?

Tomorrow I am going to be on XM Satellite Radio's show Taking Five: The Five Minute Magazine, and one of the topics is something we skirt(steak) around as a society: Why is it that men seem to feel the thrill of the grill more than women? What is it about the fire and the smoke and the tending and the prodding that gets men in a most primal way? Why is it that men are giving their attention--to say nothing of their wallets--to the most lavish, souped-up grills, ones that cost in the five figures? What do you think? Men, I am listening...

I am a big fan of Josh Friedland's site The Food Section, and now that it boasts a shopping list, featuring "products for your palate," I will be sure to visit daily. On his list so far are a windup mini Mario Batali (something Bill Buford might want to buy), a Pop Art toaster, which stencils your toast with various images, and a spacecraftlike vessel to cook mussels for those whose IPOs just went through the roof. (While you're surfing through this excellent site, also check out a posting in praise of canned frosting, a guilty pleasure I share.)

Among the notable Georges and Marthas are George and Martha Butterfield, two people who have crossed more than the Delaware. Grabbing life by the backpack, they have created Butterfield & Robinson, a travel company where the words "luxury" and "active" are amazingly synonomous. The company, which leads biking and hiking trips on six continents--to the world's most beautiful and interesting areas--is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The Butterfields are marking it by guiding a trip to Iceland and biking from Paris to London. Experiencing a culture close-up, getting exercise, reveling in Frette linens and a glorious glass of Burgundy--what could be better? Now if only I was a better biker and my tootsies didn't hurt after a two-mile walk... If you could go anywhere--and dine anywhere--in the world, where would it be?

This breathless press release arrived in our in-box last week and I knew immediately this was news you just had to know:

"Dressed in an olive shirt and camouflage shorts, a very summery Seal stopped in at Mr. Cecil's California Ribs in Sherman Oaks on Sunday evening, May 28. A 'regular' of Mr. Cecil's, Seal exclaimed, 'Heidi and I just love your ribs and I'd like to place an order to go. We're not going to cook tonight!' he smiled as the hostess took his order. Seal ordered 4 racks of BBQ Babyback Ribs, a BBQ Chicken Dinner, an order of hushpuppies, coleslaw, BBQ baked beans and cornbread. 'Seal just hung out like a regular person and patiently waited for his order--he's such a great guy, an amazing talent and a very generous tipper!' beamed the hostess."

I am on stand-by, waiting to hear about Seal picking up his dry-cleaning, and will alert you as soon as I know, for Epicurious is your trusted source in breaking news on errands.